Almondbury Wesleyans will be hoping they don’t get a painful lesson from schoolteacher Tim Orrell on Saturday.
Orrell has been handing them out all season in helping Mirfield Parish Cavaliers power to the top of the Cedar Court Conference in their first season of Drakes Huddersfield League cricket.
Now in his late 40s, Orrell – a former stalwart of the all-conquering Woodlands side in the Bradford League – is the top run-scorer in the Drakes sections going into the top-table clash against second-placed Wesleyans at Kaye Lane.
Formerly on the books of Lancashire and still living ‘over the tops’, Orrell has smashed 727 runs so far in League and Cup, at an average of 72.70, and he is exactly 100 runs ahead of the next-top scorer, Premiership Broad Oak’s Henry Cooper.
Wesleyan’s village neighbours Almondbury were the latest to suffer at the right-handers blade, as he it 145 not out against them in last Saturday’s crushing win – overseas professional Nazar Hussain (who spearheads their attack with 30 wickets) finishing on 65 not out as Parish totalled 251-2 in just 33 overs.
Dan Padgett then skittled the visitors for 96 with an eight for 30 haul to ensure Parish lead the table by four points from the Wes.
It promises to be an intriguing battle between the two, as the Wes also shone last weekend.
Firstly, Chris Sykes picked up five for 20 in eight overs to help send back Upperthong for 108, then Alex Taylor opened with 59 – he leads the way for the club with 416 runs so far – as the Wes went to 112 for the loss of three wickets.
Wes openers Jack Atkinson (16 wickets) and Kiwi Jake Gibson (18 wickets) will be hoping to keep Orrell quiet, while Matt Henshaw is the Wes’s leading wicket-taker so far with 20.
Mirfield Parish and the Wes are also both involved in next Tuesday’s first round of the Total Indoor Cricket Solutions T20 Shield.
The draw is: Almondbury v Thongsbridge, Meltham v Mirfield Parish, Cumberworth v Denby Dale, Almondbury Wes v Linthwaite, Birkby Rose Hill v Lepton, Holmfirth v Clayton West, Hall Bower v Kirkheaton, Rastrick v Denby.
Meanwhile, challengers to leaders Delph & Dobcross will be hoping for some favours in what is a double-header weekend for the Premiership.
Unbeaten Delph are at home to Skelmanthorpe on Saturday, before travelling to struggling Honley on Sunday.
